How to Set Up a Home Office If You Have Limited Space

With many of us now working from home for at least part of the week, creating a home office space that is both functional and attractive has become a more serious undertaking.

If there’s a spare room or you’re lucky enough to have a loft conversion, all well and good you can create a great office.

Unfortunately, quite a lot of us are short on space and the options are limited where we can put a desk. The great news is that doesn’t mean you can’t set up a functional and attractive home office with just a little imagination.

What Do You Need?

A lot depends on what sort of business or office work you need to do. In some cases, all you need is a laptop, table, chair and a Wi-Fi connection and nearby plug socket.

Consider whether you need a printer for your home office. While these can be useful, they’re not always necessary to get the work done. For example, if you are working on a document you can amend it on screen rather than print it out.

If you do need a printer, consider buying a Wi-Fi enabled printer which means you don’t have to connect it up to your PC and can put it anywhere in the home.

You may want to put up shelving and have books or have other tools that you need to do your work such as multiple screens. In some cases, you could need to find space for a filing cabinet. If space is at a premium consider all aspects of your environment to make the best of what you have.

Finding the Right Spot

The next step is to find the right location to set up your home office. This is more important than many people think. If your office is in a busy area of the house or flat it can mean you get distracted too much with people coming and going.

You also want a space that encourages you to sit down and work in the first place. If the area is too cluttered, for example, it can be off-putting. A corner of the bedroom or the living room are the most popular options for smaller homes. An alcove in a hallway can work well too.

One thing you might like to consider is natural lighting and being near a window. Try to avoid locations that have little light coming in from outside, especially if you spend a lot of time working from home.

In the end, it’s a question of simply ask yourself if you are going to want to sit down at your desk and get on with the work. Our advice is to try out a few different locations before you finally settle on the right location.

Make it Multi-Function

Rather than make the home office just for you, create a space that everyone can use. With limited options, having your own office that doubles as a place where, for example, the kids can get on with their homework is ideal if you need to save space.

For kids, it offers a more formal location for getting on with their school work and is an excellent central family hub for learning and finding out new things, even playing games together.

Personalising Your Home Office

One key for creating a personal home office, however much room you have, is personalising the space. For some, that could mean putting up an inspirational piece of artwork or a poster. It could also mean adding family pictures or a pegboard where you can put up your jobs list or future goals. The odd pot plant will also add a little greenery which is good for mental and physical health.

Having a small home or limited space shouldn’t stop you from setting up an effective home office that you will want to use.

Don’t simply throw your laptop on the kitchen table but take a look around your home and explore all the possibilities. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to create a great looking office space.

I really wish we had a little more space for a home office, these are great tips – we are planning on extending so we can have more space and hopefully fit in a little place for when we are working at home.

I’ve got into really bad habits over the last 7 years and now I work best on the sofa! I did set myself up with a desk and my printer etc, but it gave me neck ache and I am best just sprawled out, how counterintuitive is that? lol Mich x